$3.25-million bonus for Oilers’ Connor Brown activated as he plays 10th game

Edmonton Oilers forward Connor Brown is returning from injury just in time to cash in on his $3.25-million bonus for appearing in his 10th game of the season against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Brown was seen preparing with the team during practice in Tampa on Friday, slotting in on the top line. The appearance not only suggested Brown would be returning to the ice on Saturday with the team but also that he would skating alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Sixteen days ago, Connor Brown suffered what appeared to be a lower-body injury during the November 2nd game against the Dallas Stars; just one game before he could hear the cash register ring on receiving his hefty 10-game signing bonus.

At the time, former head coach Jay Woodcroft acknowledged the injury as muscular as the forward headed to the Oilers locker room in the second period.

When Brown signed a one-year, $4-million contract as a free agent back in July with the Oilers, he was paid $775,000 for the current season and was set to receive the remaining portion once he had hit the 10-game mark. The bonus would go towards next season’s salary cap, giving a bit of leeway by acquiring a top-six forward for a lower price throughout the current season.

Brown suffered an ACL tear that cost him almost the entirety of the 2022-23 season with the Washington Capitals. When he joined the Oilers, the market predicted he would most likely be off to a slower start to try to regain his footing in the big leagues. Still, no one was anticipating how slow that start would be.

Throughout the first nine games of the 2023-24 campaign, Brown did not register a single point and had not been on the ice for a single Oilers goal. However, his underlying numbers revealed more about his performance than how it looked on the score sheet. Brown was primarily slotted in on the third line alongside Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway for the start of the season, and the trio swallowed up opposing chances, but remained quiet when it came to entering the dirtier areas offensively. However, the group of forwards generated a high rate of shot attempts, and the Oilers dominated 5v5 with Brown on the ice.

His appearance on the top line for the Oilers alongside former Erie Otters teammate McDavid on Saturday afternoon should prompt more opportunity for Brown, and he now cashes in on a nice bonus.